At The End of All Things
by kalirush
Summary: After everything's over on the Promised Day, Ross and Catalina ride out to survey the damage


_Written for FMA Slashfest, for the prompt "Maria/Anyone (Manga/Brotherhood): after all she's been through, Maria deserves a bit of fun tiemz. Hook her up with one of the girls in the victorious aftermath of the Promised Day?"_

* * *

Just like that, it was over.

Oh, everything dragged on for a while. They got word that HQ had been destroyed, and that had been a bad time. Catalina had wanted to ride in with the cavalry- Maria and Brosch were the cavalry, apparently- but Breda had put that idea to rest. "The Colonel gave us our orders," he'd said. "We're going to stay here and carry them out until the mission is over." Maria had agreed with him, and so had Fuery, of course, and that had been that.

Then Fuery had gotten confirmation of the end of the battle over radio. Then they actually managed to get someone on the line who knew anything about what had happened, and then they finally managed to get the Colonel on the line. He sounded exhausted and strange, but he was alive. So was Hawkeye, apparently, and she could confirm that Major Armstrong and Falman and both Elrics had survived the battle as well. Others hadn't, Maria understood from their voices, but she was willing to take victories where she could get them. Then, even tired and probably injured, the Colonel took the time to thank them for their service.

Then that was it.

Brosch said he had to go home and check on his family, after the whatever-had-happened had happened.

Fuery said that he had to stay at the switchboards at the station. Someone had to make sure that necessary information was getting out to the people of Central.

Breda volunteered to take Mrs. Bradley... well, not home, since the Fuhrer's palace was in the middle of everything, but to a safe place to stay.

Catalina laughed like a crazy person- this is something Maria had come to expect from her in their time together- and then announced that she had always wanted to see Central HQ turned into a smoking crater, and when was she going to get the chance again? Maria knew without having to be told that she was more worried about Riza than explosions. Barely.

The streets were filled with people as they left the radio station. Everyone was talking. There were soldiers milling around with guns like they weren't sure what to do with them. Maria and Catalina ghosted by in their civvies without arousing comment.

Catalina drove the van. It was slow going, but it was a damned long walk from the station to HQ. As they got closer, though, the people cleared out. No one wanted to be near ground zero of the whatever-had-happened thing. Maria couldn't blame them. Catalina kept up a running commentary about the members of the brass that she was hoping had bought a farm. Which was completely morbid _and _in bad taste, but that was Catalina all over. Maria stayed quiet and let her talk, which was probably Maria all over.

Nobody was standing guard at the gate, but there were soldiers everywhere once they were on the grounds. The reports hadn't been exaggerated. The whole center section of HQ was blown away, and the grounds were a scorched battleground. Catalina parked the van and they went on on foot. Catalina went straight after Hawkeye, which was fine; they were best friends, and Maria already knew that's why they were here.

Hawkeye and Mustang were in one of the medical tents, and they both looked like hell. Catalina took one look at where Hawkeye's throat had been slit, apparently, and pretty much burst out crying and yelling simultaneously. Mustang got a couple of Catalina glares. Maria could practically hear her saying _I thought you were supposed to take care of her, you asshole_. Not that it did any good, because Mustang had lost his eyes and was therefore immune to glaring. It meant the end of his dream, Maria knew. She wondered what he would do. He looked so lost.

"Thank you," Mustang said again, when they made to leave. "You made all the difference today."

"It was an honor, sirs," Maria said, and saluted.

Then Catalina dragged her away. They found the Elric brothers in a tent not far away. Al was human, which was amazing, even though he looked like a skeleton. Ed looked like he was running on adrenaline and joy. She offered him a handshake, and he took it with his flesh right hand. His grip was weak, but she guessed he'd fix that.

Armstrong cried when he saw them. He had been badly beaten, which was unsettling. What could leave bruises like that on _Armstrong? _Maria saluted him, too, but that just triggered another round of crying, and then some hugging. Catalina almost bolted at the hugging, but Maria had gotten used to it over the years.

After that, they just stood there, looking into the crater that had been Central HQ for a long time. Then Catalina took her by her hand. Then, somehow, they were kissing, and Maria's heart was thudding out of her chest and her head was light, and she hadn't thought that Catalina was into women; she hadn't even thought Catalina knew _Maria _was into women, and-

And then Catalina- Rebecca- was pulling back with a shit-eating grin on her face that said _we're alive_ and _we won _and _look who's getting laid tonight _all at the same time. "Drinks," she said. "You and me, Ross. D'you think you still have an apartment in this town?"

"Probably," Maria said, and she suddenly realized that she was smiling. She still needed to let her parents know that she was alive. _Screw it_, she thought. _It can wait until tomorrow_. "I don't have a key anymore. I don't suppose that's a problem, though."

Rebecca grinned, and looped her arm through Maria's. "Not today," she said. "Today, nothing can stop us."

* * *

_I started writing this, and I totally thought it was going to be about Ross and Sheska. Ross was going to meet up with her in the rubble of HQ. Sheska was going to have still thought she was dead. It was going to be a whole thing. Then Catalina inserted herself into the story, without even asking permission. She doesn't usually swing that way, she says, but she's flexible. Open to new ideas. Willing to try anything a minimum of three times, possibly more if she's drunk. What? Don't judge her. You don't know._


End file.
